Five classics of literature - War of the Worlds, Frankenstein, Peter Pan, The Hound of the Baskervilles and Heart of Darkness are tossed out to the audience. They are invited to examine them carefully, even flip to their favorite passages. Then, they are asked to choose a page at random, read a word, and remember it. You ask them to sit down if you say their word.

You say five words - and four people sit. You turn to the last person standing, concentrate for a moment -- and then without a question, tell them their word.

The books are so subtly and artfully gimmicked, someone can actually read them without noticing the gimickry. Even people who know the books well won't be able to see it.

Months of careful work went into making this a thing of beauty. Chris Philpott's Tossed Out Book Test will become a showpiece of your act.

"Not only am I adding that to my act right away - I'm making it my closer!"- Michael Rangel

* * *

The Tossed Out Book Test has bonus effects and special handlings, including...

The "Fifty Shades of Grey/[or insert popular title here]" version, in which a hot bestseller (ungimmicked) is included as one of the five books handed out to the audience.

The Travelling Light version, where only a single pocket book is used.

The One Word, One Person version, where you can read a single word chosen by a single spectator, working from any one of these classic texts.

It also includes suggested presentations for tying in the magic with the themes of one or all of these books. Was this miracle the result of some Dr. Frankenstein-style mad experiment exploring the no-man's land between life and death? Or was it all done with pixie dust by a magical boy who never grew up? Does it require the performer to peer into the heart of darkness and glimpse the horror? Maybe these strange powers all explainable by science -- just not earth's science. Or was this all accomplished by Holmes-like observation, ruthless logic and brilliant deduction? It's all up to you -- and your audience's imagination.

These books are on the curriculum for schools all over the world so this is perfect for school, library and book fair shows.

"Incredibly powerful.... Deviously simple to use.... The only negative consideration that I have for this is that Philpott should have kept this to himself and a few others, like ME!! Frankly, this is really too good to have available commercially so that anyone at any level can do this killer effect.... By far, this is my favorite book test released this year.- Jheff, Marketplace of the Mind

"The Tossed Out Book Test is more than some clever ideas. It's a pathway to amazing possibilities."- Max Maven

"What I love about the TOSSED OUT BOOK TEST is that it is straight to the point. No prodding process that bespeaks trickery. They open to any page, look at a word, and you nail the words with a group of people, without pumping. That's direct!"- Kenton Knepper

"Every so often a classic magic principle gets turned on its head with wonderful results. This is that trick. A proven method put to brilliant effect. The props are so ordinary, and the handling is so direct, it may be the most natural book test I've seen."- Pete McCabe, Scripting Magic

"Frankly, if this had been mine, I would not have sold it, but kept it for myself."- Richard Osterlind